Coast Guard and partner agencies conduct rescue exercise

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Members of Coast Guard Station Mayport, Florida; Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Ocean Rescue; Atlantic Beach Ocean Rescue and Lifeguards Without Borders participated in an exercise together Tuesday in the water near the Jacksonville Beach lifeguard station intended to test all agencies’ communication and responses for a beach swimmer swept out to sea.

The exercise began at approximately 10 a.m. when a mother reported her teenager missing in the water at Jacksonville Beach. Lifeguards confirmed they spotted the teen in the water outside the surf earlier but lost sight of the person, initiating an appropriate response by the lifeguards, including Coast Guard notification, and subsequent search.

“We are grateful for opportunities to practice with other agencies and assure our capabilities meet our high standards,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Scragg, Coast Guard Station Mayport training petty officer. “Exercises like this give us the training and familiarity of working alongside other agencies which improve our efficiency during real-life scenarios.”